A single intravenous injection of recombinant human tumour necrosis factor (TNF) resulted in significant, but transient (24–48 hr) reductions in food intake and body weight, and increases in rectal temperature, resting oxygen consumption (VO2) and brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenic activity (mitochondrial GDP-binding). The increased VO2 was inhibited by β-adrenergic blockade (propranolol), and activation of BAT was prevented by denervation of the tissue. In adult (4-month old) animals, TNF induced greater reductions in food intake and body weight, caused general malaise and some fatalities, but did not significantly alter VO2 or BAT activity. However, the reduction in VO2 following β-adrenergic blockade was greater in TNF-treated rats and BAT activity was enhanced when compared to pair-fed controls. Injection of adult rats with gamma-interferon induced small changes in body weight and temperature which were slightly potentiated when injected with a low dose of TNF. The results indicate that TNF stimulates sympathetic outflow to BAT. This effect may be partly responsible for the increases in body temperature and metabolic rate associated with TNF treatment and with cancer cachexia.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Rapid Communication|
October 01 1987
Changes in thermogenesis and brown fat activity in response to tumour necrosis factor in the rat
R. C. Coombes;
R. C. Coombes
1Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, St George's Hospital Medical School, London SW17 0RE
Search for other works by this author on:
N. J. Rothwell;
N. J. Rothwell
2Department of Physiology, St George's Hospital Medical School, London SW17 0RE
3Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT
Search for other works by this author on:
P. Shah;
P. Shah
1Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, St George's Hospital Medical School, London SW17 0RE
Search for other works by this author on:
M. J. Stock
M. J. Stock
2Department of Physiology, St George's Hospital Medical School, London SW17 0RE
Search for other works by this author on:
Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
October 26 1987
Online ISSN: 1573-4935
Print ISSN: 0144-8463
© 1987 Plenum Publishing Corporation
1987
Biosci Rep (1987) 7 (10): 791–799.
Article history
Received:
October 26 1987
Citation
R. C. Coombes, N. J. Rothwell, P. Shah, M. J. Stock; Changes in thermogenesis and brown fat activity in response to tumour necrosis factor in the rat. Biosci Rep 1 October 1987; 7 (10): 791–799. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01116752
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Sign in to your personal account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Could not validate captcha. Please try again.
Biochemical Society Member Sign in
Sign InSign in via your Institution
Sign in via your InstitutionGet Access To This Article
Open Access for all
We offer compliant routes for all authors from 2025. With library support, there will be no author nor reader charges in 5 journals. Check here |
![]() |